30 MARCH 1867, Page 1

"I never give the wall to a snob," says a

ruffian in Joe Miller to a gentleman on the footpath. "I always do," retorts the gentleman, as he sidles into the gutter. That was Mr. Dis- raeli's attitude on Tuesday night, when lie closed the debate by surrendering everything, but covered his retreat with epigrams. He gave up the dual vote which the philosophers had wanted, but which he, plain common-sense innocent that he is ! had never cared about. He accepted a lodger franchise heartily, declaring that he was himself the " father " of that formidable bantling, and of course loved his own child. Ile would leave the tax-paying franchises, which were invented by Earl Russell, with the "dust of venerable antiquity" upon them, to the consideration of the House. As to redistribution, if Mr. Gladstone was prepared, as he believed he was prepared, to stab his dearest friends to the

heart, why, let him bring in his measttre, and let the House decide. The only puiut which he defended, or seemed to defend, was his borough suffrage, the enfranchisement of the householder who pays his own rates, which he defended by arguments we have analyzed elsewhere. In the beginning of his speech, Mr. Disraeli complained of Mr. Gladstone's dictatorial tone and heat of manner, which sometimes made him rejoice "there was a solid piece of furniture between them," and he closed his address by a strong expression of the responsibility which lay upon the House, and the sentence, "Pass the Bill, and then change the Ministry, if yoa like." The general effect of this speech in the House was decidedly favourable.